Chekhov's Rifle?
by cc71
Summary: 'Chekhov's Gun' is a literary concept that says everything in a work must have a purpose: if it is shown early on, it should be used later. So something that was shown in S1E1 has been bothering us. We've been waiting and watching, but it was never used. Apparently. But maybe it was.


**January 1926**

"We'll be hosting some riders from the York & Ainsty next weekend," Cora announces at dinner.

"I understand Evelyn Napier will be with them," Tom says. "He stopped in to say 'Hello!' at the shop last week."

Henry and Mary share a glance. Henry had already informed Mary about Evelyn stopping through while on the hunt. He had guessed correctly the last time Evelyn had visited during that particular hunt. Many years ago.

"I thought his work in London would have kept him too busy for a long hunt," Mary says.

Henry says, "His father is getting on in years, and is not in the best of health. He said he comes to look in on him regularly. Decided to have another diversion this time."

Robert says, "I may join them for a day or two. Anyone else? Mary?"

Mary sighs and says, "I am sorry, Papa, but even though it is still early, I should not ride."

"Perhaps we can convince Evelyn to shoot one day while he is here, then," Robert says. "That way you can join us."

Tom says, "Henry, if you want, I can look after the shop."

"I may do that, if Mary wants to," Henry says.

Mary says, "Tom, thank you for the offer." She turns to her husband and says, "Darling, I think that is a grand idea; you can take George with you. He'd like that."

"Is he a little young?" Henry asks.

Robert smiles, "Mary tagged along on shoots since she could walk. We'll have both George and Sybbie join us."

* * *

"How has adjusting to country life been, Henry?" Evelyn Napier asks as the small shooting group makes its way from the Abbey toward the wood. George and Sybbie hold Mary's hands. Robert, Henry, and Evelyn carry hunting guns.

"As you might expect," Henry says, ambiguously. "I am in York now every day except Sunday, so have done little shooting this season."

"Of course," Evelyn says, as if understanding. "That doesn't give you newlyweds too much time together."

Mary gives Evelyn a smile, and says, "I am busy enough with the estate work that Henry would be bored if he didn't have the shop."

"It is a nice little place, it seemed," Evelyn says. "I trust business is going well, Henry?"

"As well as can be expected given how new we are," Henry answers. "Tom and I are optimistic."

Sybbie asks, "Can we run ahead, Aunt Mary?"

"Yes, Mummy, please? We'd like to see if we can find the dragons before Donk destroys them!" George pleads.

"And the evil sorcerer!" exclaims Sybbie.

Mary smiles at her father, wondering how he has gotten these type of fantasies into the children. She responds, "Yes, you may run ahead," Mary says, "We'll meet you at the clearing."

George and Sybbie scamper ahead.

* * *

"Good shot!" George says, complementing Henry. Tiaa takes off to find and retrieve the downed bird, followed by the aide who has accompanied the group.

"Not bad, Henry," Evelyn says. "I thought you grew up in London."

"I did, but we spent a lot of time out here with my Aunt Prudence's family," Henry says.

"You need to let Tom give you more days like this. We'll turn you into a countryman soon enough," Robert says.

* * *

A while later, "Alright, everyone," Robert says. "That should do it; we can head back now."

"You go on back. I'll get George and Sybbie," Henry says, handing his gun to the aide. Once again, the two children have taken off at a run due to their limitless energy.

"I'll help you," Evelyn says.

Robert and Mary begin walking one way, presumably back toward the house, while Henry and Evelyn go in a different direction.

* * *

After a short time, Evelyn says, "Thank you for that, Henry. You've made this very easy."

Henry turns to look at his walking companion to see Evelyn pointing the gun at him.

Henry says, "What are you doing, Evelyn?"

Evelyn replies, "It is amazing how many accidents occur while out on shoots, isn't it?"

"What in God's name-?" Henry says.

"I am very sorry, Henry. I did like you," Evelyn says. "But, then again, I liked the others, too."

"Evelyn, what are you talking about? Point the gun away, please," Henry says, thinking that Evelyn is simply joking.

"Oh, I cannot do that. Not when this is such a perfect opportunity," Evelyn states. "I have waited too long ... This time, I will be here in person to console her. That will be the difference, and she will finally turn to me."

Henry starts to get a very bad feeling. He stops, and asks, "The others? This time?"

"I liked Mr. Pamuk, too. But it was obvious that he was taken with Mary, and she was taken with him. That was interfering with my own pursuit. I didn't realize he would go to her room before the poison did its work," Evelyn says, calmly.

Henry's eyes widen in realization of what Evelyn has just admitted.

Evelyn continues, "I waited for the air to clear from that episode, but it never seemed to, did it? I think I did the world a favor with Mrs. Bates. The first one, that is. She did not seem to be a very nice person. She made a mess of things by threatening to expose the story. She was almost giddy when talking about the shame the family and her husband would face. I couldn't let such a thing happen to Mary. It's funny how the police were so convinced it was the arsenic that they never suspected salt of sorrel there, too.

"Matthew, … now the real tragedy there was the timing. It took so long for the fault I introduced into the car to present itself. Had no heir been sired, Mary would have had to turn elsewhere for her future."

Henry's face falls. Three deaths by his hand? The man is insane. Which means he is also quite serious about shooting Henry after all. Henry decides to try to stall for time, with the hope that someone else will come by.

"She might have accepted Gillingham," Henry says.

Evelyn scoffs, "Oh, I could tell that wasn't going to work, and I had Blake as an unwitting ally. It didn't take much to get Charles to bring Mabel back into the picture for Tony. Blake would have continued to be a challenge … but it was nothing to make a case to our superior that Charles was the best candidate for the overseas work.

"But, I clearly waited too long again to try my suit," Evelyn says with a frustrated tone of voice. "She had already met you. I admit I did not think anything would come of it at first. Who would have thought a race car driver would hold any appeal for someone like Mary? She deserves so much more than the nothing you offered. Or so I thought. Until the dinner at the Criterion. That's when I could tell she was smitten again."

Evelyn shakes his head and gives a tsk tsk sound, before continuing, "It's a shame for poor Charlie that you drove a different car than the one I'd seen you race in previously. I'd learned my lesson from Matthew's, and made sure the fault would occur during the race."

Henry's face has twisted into one of disgust and anger.

Evelyn continues, "Again, I erred with timing. The next I knew, the two of you were already married! How ludicrous! But you know the old saying that a marriage made in haste is not destined to last long. This might not have been what they meant, but ..."

Evelyn raises the rifle and sights on Henry, then he starts backing away.

"I don't want this to be at too close of a range, but don't think you can flee. I am quite a good shot. Don't worry...I'll take good care of George and your child. If it lives with how devastated Mary will be. I'll be right here to comfort her, and help her to understand that I have been the one who has been here for her every time. Oh, I have been so pati-"

"You are an evil man!" George shouts as he and then Sybbie drop onto Evelyn as Napier passes under a tree.

Evelyn is shocked by the shout and the weight of two young children falling on him. He had truly been prepared to fire, his finger on the trigger. The gun goes off, but fortunately for everyone else, George had fallen so that the gun arm dropped, and the shot goes to the ground.

Sybbie sits on Evelyn's legs while George sits on the man's upper body and begins to use his little fists to hit the man in the face.

"You killed my father! You killed my father!" George says, over and over, crying and raging.

Henry darts toward Evelyn, and grabs the rifle from his hands.

Evelyn may have been initially surprised, but the weight of a young child, even two of them, is easy to overcome. He kicks Sybbie away, then grabs for George and pulls him off of himself. Then he stands and holds the boy up, in a stranglehold. George is fighting and kicking, but Evelyn is strong enough to be able to use him as a human shield.

Henry has put Sybbie behind him, to keep her out of harm's way, cocked the rifle again and is pointing it at Napier.

"I've seen your shooting … you might get lucky every now and then, but you are not consistent. You are not a good enough shot to risk hurting George," Evelyn sneers, beginning to back away, holding the struggling boy.

"What makes you think I need to shoot?" Henry says. "You'll not get far."

"You forget where we are, Henry," Evelyn says. "This is the country. I've been riding and shooting in these parts my whole life." He appears to tighten the pressure on George's throat. "Now, put down the gun, and no harm will come to George."

Henry looks torn for a moment, then lowers the gun. He slowly bends down to place it on the ground, keeping his eyes on Napier the entire time.

"That's good," Napier says. "Kick it toward me."

Henry does as told.

"Surely you do not intend to kill all three of us," Henry says, calmly. "Mary would be devastated if anything were to happen to George. She would blame you if you were the only survivor of some tragic accident."

"I only need to kill you," Napier says. "I know how much George and Sybbie love their grandfather. What do they call him … Donk?"

Evelyn looks George in the face, "You would hate to see any harm come to Donk, am I right?"

George gives Napier a look of fright.

"That's right, you understand," Napier says, nodding. "You and your cousin over there will agree to my story, that my gun went off by accident and hit poor Henry. Won't you?"

Crying, George says, "Please don't hurt Henry or Donk …"

Still holding George, Napier bends down to pick up the gun. Once he has it, he changes his grip on George, holding him tightly by an upper arm. He shifts the gun up with one arm so that it again is pointing toward Henry.

"I'm sorry, George. You can't have gotten that close to him yet. I'll be a generous stepfather for you. Pay for you to go to the best schools ... probably in America. Sybbie, too, to keep you company," Evelyn states. He looks between Sybbie and George, and says, "Just remember what I said about Donk. Besides, everyone heard you earlier … nobody will believe two young children telling fantastical tales."

"You'd be surprised at what we will believe," Mary says icily, from behind Evelyn.

Robert walks next to his daughter, the aide is on Mary's other side. Both have guns pointed toward Napier.

* * *

A/N: Salt of sorrel was shown in S1E1, and even explained as poison. It induces heart failure. So we think Pamuk was murdered. Whodunit? We originally thought it might have been Thomas-he had motive and access to the weapon and victim. He had a motive for Vera Bates, too, since by framing John Bates for the murder he would have been a likely pick for valet to Lord Grantham. Both of those two deaths created such havoc, and so much of the storyline, that the explanations in the series did not seem adequate.

Then, two car deaths and Evelyn Napier popping up every now and then, still single … my mother always did say to watch out for the quiet ones.

This idea could have been fleshed out better and written as a longer story, but it was purposely done as a _short_ one-shot!


End file.
